Louis Trichardt station, SAR Class 8 no 1090

ReidAll the colour photos below are kind courtesy of Cobus Holtzkampf who first posted these pictures in 2010 here on a facebook group.


Louis Trichardt station 2010.


Louis Trichardt station 2010.


Louis Trichardt station 2010.


SAR Class 8 engine no 1070 plinthed in front of the Louis Trichardt station.




This engine was built in 1903 by Neilson, Reid & Co Ltd of Glasgow, Scotland as their works number 6249.

SAR Class 8 4-8-0 "Cape 8th"

The Cape Government Railways (CGR) 8th class was conceived as a mixed-traffic locomotive equally suitable for goods or passenger work. They were designed by H.M. Beatty and had larger driving wheels than the 7th class. The 4-8-0 examples were actually based on a pair of 2-8-0 engines imported by the CGR in 1901 from the American Locomotive Co, which later became the SAR Class 8X. While they retained the bar frames of these engines, Beatty added a bogie to improve the ride. The first order from the CGR consisted of 23 locomotives delivered by Neilson, Reid and Co in 1902 and 1903 and were placed in service throughout the colony. They became SAR class 8.

exCGR Cape 8th Class
No's 358 - 365, 771 - 782 & 801 - 803.

Builders and Year:.......Neilson, Reid & Co. (1902)
Numbering:...............1069 - 1091
Wheel Arrangement:.......4-8-0 ooOOOO
Driving Wheel Diameter:..4 ft. 0 in.
Cylinders:...............2 x 18½ in. x 24 in.
Valve Gear:..............Stephenson's Link Motion
. . . . N O T E: Many were later converted to Piston Valve Gear

Boiler Pressure:.........180 lbs per square in.
Grate Size:..............21.3 square ft.
Tractive Force:..........23,100 lbs
Length:..................54 ft. 2 in.
Weight:..................59 tons 500 lbs
Axle Load:...............11 tons 1,400 lbs
Tender Weight:...........34 tons
Coal Capacity:...........5½ tons
Water Capacity:..........2,730 gallons
Tender Types:............XC, XC1, XD, XE, XE1, XF, XF1, XF2, XJ, XM, XM1, XM2 & XM3

This photo shows some detail of the piston valve gear which was added to the engine in its later service life.


Possibly broken tree branches at some stage damaged the roof structure?

This photo of SAR Class 8 no 1088 showing the locomotive in the form which the class 8 was originally built. Of note is the Stephenson slide valve gear visible in the photo. In the years 1929-36 when AG Watson was chief mechanical engineer of the SAR, many of the class 8 locomotives were upgraded with piston valve gear, such as is visible on the locomotive plinthed at Louis Trichardt station. The original photo above was taken by SH Carter and appears in DF Holland's Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways.


Class 8 (with Internal admission piston-valves) 4-8-0 "Cape 8th" No. 1074 [NR 6218-1902 - ex CGR 360] - at De Aar Loco Depot 5 June 1966 - photo courtesy of Leith Paxton.

Under AG Watson, chief mechanical engineer of the SAR during 1929-35, many of the front ends of the 8th classes were redesigned, using piston instead of slide valves, and the engines were superheated. The photos above and below show class 8 engines which had these conversions done.


Class 8D (with External admission piston-valves) 4-8-0 "Cape 8th" - No 1223 [NR 6300-1902 - ex CGR 788] - at Bloemfontein Loco Depot 22 March 1970. Photo courtesy of Leith Paxton.

A Class 8 sister engine, no 1070, was plinthed at Hartenbos station, unfortunately it is no more.

Sources:

1. Railways of Southern Africa - Locomotive Guide 1994 by John Middleton
2. SAR Steam 3ft 6in SAR Class 8 Tender